Gender and biodiversity:

Transcription

1 Gender and biodiversity: Analysis of women and gender equality considerations in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) IUCN Global Gender Office 1630 Conneticut Ave. NW Suite 1630 Washington, DC genderandenvironment.org/egi iucn.org JANUARY 2017

2 AUTHORS Barbara Clabots (IUCN) Molly Gilligan (IUCN) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lorena Aguilar (IUCN) Tanya McGregor (CBD) Cate Owren (IUCN) Maria Prebble (IUCN) Maggie Roth (IUCN) Laura Sabater (IUCN) GRAPHIC DESIGN Estudio Relativo

3 Table of contents Key findings... IV Acronyms... V Introduction... 1 The Environment and Gender Information (EGI) platform...1 Background on the Convention on Biological Diversity...1 Gender considerations in the CBD...2 Background on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)...3 Gender considerations in NBSAPs through the years...4 Methodology... 6 Objective...6 Sample...6 Data collection and analysis...7 Subset of most recent NBSAPs...8 Subset of post-nagoya NBSAPs...8 Limitations...9 Findings, Part 1: Women and gender keywords Key findings:...11 Findings, Part 2: Characterization of women Key findings:...13 Women as vulnerable...14 Women as beneficiaries...15 Women as stakeholders...16 Women as agents of change...16 Findings, Part 3: Integrating gender equality principles into NBSAPs Key findings:...18 Gender equality as a guiding principle...19 Linking biodiversity and gender equality policy frameworks...20 Women s organizations involved in development and implementation...20 Gender equality and women s empowerment inclusion in objectives or goals...22 Findings, Part 4: Activities to support gender equality and women s empowerment Key findings:...25 Women included in biodiversity activities...25 Activities that contribute to economic or social empowerment of women...26 Monitoring and evaluation efforts in gender- or women-focused activities...27 Budgeting of gender- or women-focused activities...27 Gender analysis...29 I

4 Table of contents (Cont.) Findings, Part 5: Gender indicators and sex-disaggregated data Key findings:...30 Findings, Part 6: Cross-cutting gender issues reflected in NBSAPs Key findings:...32 Findings, Part 7: NBSAPs developed post-nagoya Framework for ABS How women are characterized in post-nagoya Protocol for ABS NBSAPs...35 Mainstreaming gender...35 Women or gender considerations included in activities...35 Indicators and data...36 Cross-cutting gender issues...36 Findings, Part 8: Regional analysis Key findings:...37 Conclusion Opportunities...41 Recommendations...43 Appendix: Regional categories Resources References TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES Table 1: Characterizing women: Four themes for analyzing context per EGI methodology...8 Table 2: Examples of women as agents of change...17 Table 3: Regional categories...45 II

5 Table of contents (Cont.) TABLE OF CONTENTS FIGURES Figure 1: Number of CBD COP decisions addressing gender, over time, adopted from Wells, M. (2015)...3 Figure 2: NBSAPs, by version...10 Figure 3: Versions of NBSAPs, by region...10 Figure 4: Inclusion of gender and/or women keywords in 254 NBSAPs ( )...11 Figure 5: Average number of gender and/or women keywords per NBSAP ( )...12 Figure 6: How women are characterized in NBSAPs, from 174 countries...13 Figure 7: Distribution of 174 countries with gender equality as a guiding principle in their most recently submitted NBSAPs...19 Figure 8: Distribution of 174 countries involving women s organizations or ministries in development of their most recently submitted NBSAPs...20 Figure 9: Distribution of 174 countries with women s organizations or ministries as implementing partners in their most recent NBSAPs...21 Figure 10: Gender equality and women s empowerment as a primary objective or included within an objective in most recent NBSAPs...22 Figure 11: Inclusion of women or gender considerations in activities, in 174 most recent NBSAPs...26 Figure 12: Budget allocated for women/gender-focused activities in the most recent NBSAPs...27 Figure 13: Post-2010 NBSAPs with gender and/or women keywords...34 Figure 14: How women are characterized in post-2010 NBSAPs, in percentage of documents...35 Figure 15: Distribution of countries that have submitted at least one NBSAP, by region...38 Figure 16: Average use of gender and/or women keywords in most recent NBSAPs, by region...39 Figure 17: How women are characterized in most recent NBSAPs, by region (as percentage of all countries per region)...39 Figure 18: How gender is incorporated in most recent NBSAPs, by region (as percentage of all countries per region)...40 III

6 Key findings National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are key instruments for defining priorities and modalities for effective, efficient and equitable biodiversity management at the national level and across key sectors. As such, they provide important opportunities to recognize and integrate women s empowerment and gender equality considerations. Out of the 254 total NBSAP reports from 174 countries (presented from 1993 to 2016), 143 reports (56% of total documents) from 107 countries (61% of total countries examined) contain at least one gender and/or women keyword. With respect to how women and women s participation are characterized in NBSAPs, the most countries (37% of the 174 Parties included in this analysis) indicate inclusion of women as stakeholders; 27% include reference to women as beneficiaries; 17% refer to women as vulnerable; and the fewest, 4% (seven countries) characterize women as agents of change. Gender considerations are integrated in various ways and across multiple sections of NBSAPs. For example, 14% of countries include women s empowerment and/or gender equality as a guiding principle. Approximately one-quarter (24%) of most recent NBSAPs include at least one specific activity geared towards women or otherwise proactively including gender considerations, e.g., to address gender gaps. Echoing common themes across decades of CBD decisions, 26 countries (15%) reference women as keepers of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in relation to their roles as farmers, fishers, and elders of indigenous communities in at least one of their NBSAPs, while 41 countries (24%) reference women as stewards of the environment in at least one NBSAP. IV

7 Acronyms CBD ccgap CEDAW COP CSO EGI EU IUCN IUCN GGO LAC M&E MDGs MEA MENA Nagoya Protocol on ABS NBSAP NGO OECD SADC SDGs SSA TEK UN UNCED Convention on Biological Diversity Climate Change Gender Action Plan Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Conference of the Parties Civil Society Organization Environment and Gender Information European Union International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Global Gender Office Latin America and Caribbean Monitoring and evaluation Millennium Development Goals Multilateral environmental agreement Middle East and North Africa Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Non-Governmental Organization Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development South African Development Community Sustainable Development Goals Sub-Saharan Africa Traditional ecological knowledge United Nations United Nations Conference on Environment and Development V

8 Introduction Gender equality is integral to effective, efficient and equitable conservation and sustainable development a principle increasingly understood by the global community. Ensuring that women s and men s unique perspectives, capacities, needs and ideas are informing and integrated into policies and initiatives at all levels is key toward that end. International policy frameworks have significantly provided for this recognition, including valuable instruments for guiding and governing conservation and sustainable development, specifically in the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through programmes and projects at all levels and across sectors, countries are now putting into practice these commitments. Evidence of how women s empowerment and gender equality are being integrated into environmental management remains insufficient. Without data to track progress and identify gaps, policymakers and practitioners alike suffer from inadequate knowledge regarding the extent to which environmental initiatives are contributing toward gender equality or the extent to which gender gaps are actually undermining them. THE ENVIRONMENT AND GENDER INFORMATION (EGI) PLATFORM The International Union for Conservation of Nature s (IUCN) Environment and Gender Information (EGI) platform aims through data and analysis to convey the value of genderresponsive environmental conservation and sustainable development. By providing new evidence-based information and knowledge products, the EGI platform guides action toward a more just world. From its inception in 2013, the EGI has evolved into a source for new knowledge creation and dissemination and for revealing progress and challenges in meeting commitments to women s empowerment and gender equality in environmental spheres. This EGI report examines how women and gender equality considerations are included in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), the principal mechanisms for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at national level. Included in this study are 254 NBSAPs from 174 countries over 23 years of implementation (1993 through May of 2016). BACKGROUND ON THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY The CBD is a key multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) that is one of three Sister Conventions to come out of the 1992 Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro and that entered into force the following year, in Its three main goals are conservation 1

9 of biodiversity; the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and technologies, and by appropriate funding. I,II Gender considerations in the CBD Of all the major MEAs, the CBD has a relatively long and substantial history of recognizing the links between advancing gender equality and effectively meeting the Convention s goals. The preamble of the Convention highlights the vital role of women in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, as well as the importance of women s full participation at all levels of policymaking and implementation. Over the years, numerous decisions have been taken by the Conference of Parties (COP) addressing and advancing issues relevant to gender equality and women s empowerment. Notably, the CBD became the first multilateral environmental agreement to have a Gender Plan of Action, 1 which was adopted by Parties in 2008 and laid out actions to support the promotion of gender equality in measures to implement the Convention. The four objectives of the Gender Plan of Action are: To mainstream a gender perspective into the implementation of the Convention and the associated work of the Secretariat; To promote gender equality in achieving the three objectives of the CBD and the 2010 Biodiversity Target; To demonstrate the benefits of gender mainstreaming in biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources; and To increase the effectiveness of the work of the Secretariat of the CBD. In 2014, the CBD COP 12 adopted the Gender Plan of Action, reaffirming its objectives and updating to align with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Gender Plan of Action is a significant decision and mandate for Parties on the integration of gender considerations and identifies possible actions for Parties, as well as a strengthened framework of actions for the Secretariat, to mainstream gender across policy, organizational, delivery and constituency spheres. III AICHI BIODIVERSITY TARGET 14: By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being, are restored and safeguarded, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable. IV The first Gender Plan of Action likely influenced broader awareness of gender and biodiversity linkages and thus triggered one of the 1 Facilitated in collaboration with the IUCN Global Senior Gender Advisor. 2

10 significant upticks in decisions to include gender considerations, as shown in Figure 1 below, depicting the timeline of CBD COP decisions that have integrated gender over two decades ( ). 2 Other potential national or international conditions may explain the changes in attention to gender equality and women s empowerment over the years; for example, the increase in attention to gender in 2000 and years following may have been due to the influence of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The most-recent Gender Plan of Action may influence COP decisions to come. Figure 1: Number of CBD COP decisions addressing gender, over time, adopted from Wells, M. (2015) V COP COP COP COP COP COP COP COP COP COP COP COP BACKGROUND ON NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS (NBSAPS) NBSAPs are the principal mechanisms through which governments and their stakeholders identify priorities and define modalities for implementing the goals of the Convention at national level. The Convention requires that its 196 Parties each prepare an NBSAP, or equivalent instrument; the first were developed in NBSAPs are often prepared through stakeholder processes involving environmental ministries, civil society organizations and others. VI There is no set schedule for producing NBSAPs, yet many countries have regularly revised and renewed their Plans through stakeholder processes. In 2010, at its 10 th meeting, the CBD COP adopted decision X/2, urging Parties and other governments to review and, as appropriate, update and revise their NBSAPs in line with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity Aichi Biodiversity Target 17 set 2015 as the date for Parties to have developed, adopted as a policy instrument and commenced implementation of an updated NBSAP. VII As of May 2016, 185 countries have met the target of submitting NBSAPs. 2 For a full review and analysis of CBD decisions and recommendations on gender, see Wells, Mia H. (2015) Gender and Biodiversity Technical Guide, IUCN. Retrieved from 3

11 Gender considerations in NBSAPs through the years As NBSAPs are key for implementing the Convention at the national level, they provide an important opportunity to recognize, build capacity on and develop actions to advance gender equality and women s empowerment, as emphasized in decisions by Parties through the years [such as COP decisions IX/8 VIII (2008) and X/2 IX (2010) that specifically call for mainstreaming gender considerations into NBSAPs]. To support these efforts, in 2010, the Secretariat, in conjunction with IUCN and other partners, developed guidelines for Party countries to mainstream gender into NBSAPs in Technical Series No. 49. X To further support countries in the development of NBSAPs, the Secretariat prepared a capacity building module on gender mainstreaming in NBSAPs in The call for gender mainstreaming in NBSAPs was again echoed in the Gender Plan of Action. GENDER MAINSTREAMING NBSAPS: EXCERPTS FROM GENDER PLAN OF ACTION The Gender Plan of Action XI for the CBD pays specific attention to the importance of recognizing and integrating gender considerations in countries NBSAPs planning and implementation. A key objective for proposed to Parties is to [m]ainstream gender into national biodiversity strategies and action plans. Possible action for Parties include: Request that gender experts review draft NBSAPs in order to assess gender sensitivity and provide guidance on improvements; Ensure that stocktaking exercises associated with NBSAP development adequately account for the differences in uses of biodiversity between women and men; Ensure that women are effectively engaged as members of all stakeholder groups consulted during national biodiversity strategy and action plan development; Consider including gender-disaggregated data collection and/or gender-specific indicators in the development of national biodiversity targets, building on relevant work undertaken by Parties and relevant organizations on gender monitoring, evaluation and indicators, including the IUCN [EGI]; Consider how national gender policies can be incorporated into national biodiversity strategies and action plans and can contribute to their effective implementation; Identify indigenous and local communities experts on diversity and gender mainstreaming to support the integration of gender considerations into national biodiversity strategies and action plans; Identify the importance of traditional knowledge and customary practice held by men and women in the protection of biodiversity and make use of them in supporting implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans. 4

12 In 2016, the CBD Secretariat in collaboration with IUCN Global Gender Office (IUCN GGO) and country offices and with support from the Japan Biodiversity Fund, have implemented a project to build capacity of developing country Parties to integrate gender into their biodiversity policy, planning and programming. The project focused on three pilot countries, Brazil, Mexico and Uganda, to support the integration of gender considerations into their draft NBSAPs being revised to align with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and reflect the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. This process involved bringing together representatives from national governments, women s groups and gender and biodiversity experts to share information on relevant initiatives, including but not limited to processes under the CBD, and review the draft NBSAPs to identify gaps related to gender issues. The process aimed to integrate women s priorities, needs and solutions, and the proposals and recommendations made during respective workshops influenced the finalization of each country s NBSAP (See a box on the outcomes of this process in the concluding sections of this report). The extent to which, and the ways in which, women s and men s unique capacities, gender gaps or gender equality opportunities for biodiversity are integrated into NBSAPs differ from document to document, country to country, as this analysis continues to reveal. Previous studies have shown that the recognition of women as key stakeholders in biodiversity conservation, for example, can be an important initial step in creating NBSAPs that fully empower women across sectors. Greater use of sex-disaggregated data and gender-responsive indicators, as well as integrating a gender perspective into the development of economic incentives for the protection of biodiversity, is also necessary for achieving the objectives of both biodiversity management and gender equality. XII For example, a country that documents sex-disaggregated participation in the agricultural economy can use this data to develop gender-responsive indicators, such as number of women farmers with access to agricultural credit schemes. These kinds of indicators link economic development to the desired environmental and social outcomes. XIII DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: The Dominican Republic s Version 1 (2011) NBSAP is one of the few to reference COP Decision IX-8 and CBD s Gender Plan of Action (2008). The guiding principles aim to ensure the participation of women in implementation of the NBSAP. It also notes that 49% of participants in the NBSAP process were women, and moreover recognizing women as leaders of reforestation brigades. 5

13 Methodology OBJECTIVE This report reviews and analyzes countries NBSAPs to determine how and when women and gender equality considerations are recognized and integrated. SAMPLE All NBSAPs available and accessible through the CBD search portal through May 2016 are included in this dataset. 3 The 254 total NBSAPs come from 174 countries, from every region of the world. Each NBSAP is identified by meta-details, such as year submitted to the CBD, version number (1-5) and whether or not it is the most recent NBSAP for that country. Some countries have updated their NBSAPs and submitted multiple versions, while others have submitted only one. The availability of these documents allowed for a comprehensive analysis, as well as a representative survey of the most recent NBSAPs. Outdated websites: In some circumstances, the existence of a document is noted on the CBD search portal, yet the link provided leads to outdated country websites. Those documents were unavailable for analysis. Primary language of document: Documents included are restricted to those available in English, Spanish and French, therefore excluding a few submitted NBSAPs in other languages, including Arabic, German, Italian, Latvian and Portuguese. Errors or inconsistency in meta-details: When the submission date or the version number on the CBD search portal did not match the document, the date and version on the document itself were used. These documents were still included in this study. These barriers limited the set of documents to 254 total NBSAPs that represent 174 countries; at the time of data collection and analysis, 11 countries According to the CBD website, 185 of 196 Parties 4 have submitted NBSAPs. XIV However, there were barriers to accessing and including NBSAPs from all 185 Parties in this dataset, such as: 3 CBD search portal: or 4 The 11 CBD Parties that have not submitted an NBSAP, at the time of data collection, are: Andorra, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Iceland, Monaco, Nauru, Palestine, San Marino, Somalia, South Sudan and Uzbekistan. Of note, the United States of America is not a Party to the CBD. Nauru and Somalia have submitted their first NBSAPs since the time of data collection and are not included in this analysis; both include gender and/or women keywords. 6

14 party to the CBD have submitted NBSAPs that could not be analyzed due to the barriers listed. 5 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The 254 total NBSAPs gathered underwent keyword analysis to identify the presence and prevalence of gender keywords. MaxQDA qualitative data analysis software was used to identify keyword mentions in all documents and then each keyword mention was individually reviewed; mentions not relevant to this study were excluded (see below). Key aspects of the quantitative methodology include the following: IUCN GGO s gender keyword dictionary was used to define a set of 68 unique English, Spanish and French terms grouped into eight broad categories: gender; sex; female; woman; women; girl; equity; and equality. 6, XV The gender keyword dictionary included multiple forms of keywords in these categories to ensure counting of every mention; for example, the terms gender, genders, gendered, and gender-based were included in the search, among others, to capture all instances of discussion related to gender. Keywords were counted based on contextual references. Keywords were excluded if they were found in citations, acronym lists, table of contents or as copied text from lists/ tables of MDGs, SDGs or Aichi Targets. For example, Aichi Target 14 was listed in multiple documents; the keyword within the target was excluded if it was only part of the Targets list, but if the Party listed its own goal in coordination with the specific Aichi Target it was included (examples include Sudan Version 2 and Botswana Version 3.) Final keyword counts were tabulated to determine the overall frequency of keyword mentions and to identify changes over time and by region. Keywords were then analyzed for context. Qualitative analysis included a variety of topics, including how women are characterized (see Table 1), whether sex-disaggregated data and genderresponsive indicators are used and whether there are funded and monitored activities that aim to explicitly include or empower women. 5 The 11 CBD Parties not included due to access barriers, at the time of data collection, are: Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iran, Latvia, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain was not included due to technical reasons at the time of data collection; at the time of publication of this report, Version 1 and the newly published Version 2, neither of which include keywords, were available online. Brunei s Version 1 was also not available due to technical reasons but has since been made available; it does not include keywords. Hungary s Version 1 was in Hungarian, but Version 2 has recently been published in English and does not include keywords. Guinea-Bissau s Version 1 was in Portuguese, but Version 2 has recently been published in English; it does include keywords. 6 This report excludes analysis of 26 additional gender keywords grouped into four additional categories, male, men, man, and boy, as the inclusion of these words did not show that gender considerations are being included. The results reported only reflect analysis of the 68 keywords and eight categories listed above. 7

15 TABLE 1: CHARACTERIZING WOMEN: FOUR THEMES FOR ANALYZING CONTEXT PER EGI METHODOLOGY KEYWORDS WERE CATEGORIZED AS: WHEN: Vulnerable E.g., NBSAP discusses women s specific vulnerability to gender-based discrimination HOW ARE WOMEN VIEWED? Beneficiaries Stakeholders E.g., NBSAP discusses programmes or policies that included women as recipients of economic, social or other benefits, including educational and capacity-building opportunities E.g., NBSAP discusses women as decision makers or as a group targeted for participation in decision making; women as managers of biodiversity and holders of traditional ecological knowledge may be included, depending on context Agents of Change E.g., NBSAP describes women as driving conservation activities or having a voice in policy change SUBSET OF MOST RECENT NBSAPS For some subsets of this research, as indicated throughout when relevant, only the most recently submitted NBSAP per country are considered. This is for the purpose of building a representative sample of the overall integration of gender in NBSAPs, excluding outdated documents that have since been updated. The timeframe on this most recent subset of NBSAPs includes NBSAPs submitted between They are the most recent for each country: each country is at a different stage of this process; regardless of year submitted or version number of an NBSAP documents, the most recently submitted, most up-to-date NBSAP per country is analyzed. For example, some countries submitted their most recent NBSAPs in 2016, therefore those documents are included in the subset to represent those countries. Some countries have not updated their NBSAPs at all since 1995, so those 1995 NBSAPs are included as their most recent version. Results from this subset are discussed in Findings, Part 3 and Findings, Part 4 of this report. SUBSET OF POST-NAGOYA NBSAPS The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the CBD that was adopted in October 2010 and entered into force in October It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources its objective thereby contributing to the conservation and 8

16 sustainable use of biodiversity. XVI Importantly, the Nagoya Protocol on ABS includes the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources that are covered under CBD as well as the benefits from utilizing associated traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This protocol, and its inclusion of TEK, ensures that indigenous and local communities will be included. Women are explicitly included in the Nagoya Protocol on ABS, including that Parties recognize the vital role that women play in access and benefit-sharing and affirming the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and implementation for biodiversity conservation. XVII Women are also included in Article 12 on traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, Article 22 on capacity and Article 25 on financial mechanisms and resources. XVIII Since the Nagoya Protocol was agreed towards the end of 2010, 79 NBSAPs from 78 countries have been developed and submitted. (Of these, Myanmar has produced two NBSAPs in this time period, Version 1 (2011) and Version 2 (2015).) Findings from this sub-set are discussed in Findings, Part 7 of this report. LIMITATIONS Some limitations exist that should be discussed when considering the results of this study. Further research, and structural changes at the national reporting level, can enhance results in future studies. Inconsistency in updating NBSAPs: Some countries have submitted one NBSAP; others have submitted multiple versions, as they have updated content or methods of their NBSAPs. Each time a country updates its NBSAP, it produces the next version; some countries have only made one original NBSAP, Version 1, others have updated their NBSAP up to four more times since the original version, with their most recent NBSAP being Version 5. Most (63%) of the 254 NBSAPs in this dataset are Version 1; some countries have submitted a second NBSAP, called Version 2, and relatively few have submitted a Version 3, 4 or 5 report (Figure 2). Lack of recent NBSAPs: Of the NBSAPs analyzed, 63% were Version 1 and submitted in the 1990s; therefore, recent progress in gender and biodiversity in the last decade is not reflected. This is an issue across all regions (Figure 3). The CBD Secretariat is addressing this issue by requesting that Parties update their NBSAPs to align with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. This is essential as many biodiversity concerns discussed in original NBSAPs from the 1990s are quite outdated in many cases; countries have experienced significant changes (due to conflict, economic hardship or growth, population changes and other factors) that will have greatly influenced the state of biodiversity management and concerns. Partial data for 2016: It is also important to note that, while the publication of NBSAPs on the CBD website is ongoing as documents are received, the NBSAPs available for this analysis included only those submitted until May 2016, the cut-off for this research initiative; therefore, for the tables and graphs to follow throughout this report, the value for 2016 represents only a partial response for the full year. 9

17 Figure 2: NBSAPs, by version 7 63% Version 1 7% Version 3 <1% Version 4 29% Version 2 <1% Version 5 Figure 3: Versions of NBSAPs, by region Version 1 Version 2 Version 3 Version 4 Version 5 SSA OECD Non-OECD Eurasia MENA LAC Asia and Pacific 7 Throughout report, values are rounded to nearest whole number. 10

18 Findings, Part 1: Women and gender keywords KEY FINDINGS: In this dataset, of the 254 total NBSAPs from 174 countries, 143 NBSAP documents (56% of documents, Figure 4) from 107 countries (61% of countries) contain at least one gender and/or women keyword and were thus quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Conversely, 111 documents (44% of documents, Figure 4) from 67 countries (39% of countries) do not contain any gender and/or women keywords. Attention to women and gender considerations in NBSAPs has fluctuated over time since 1993 (Figure 5). Figure 4: Inclusion of gender and/or women keywords in 254 NBSAPs ( ) 56% Include keywords 44% Do not include keywords More than half of all NBSAPs 56%, or 143 out of 254 total documents examined integrate at least one gender and/or women keyword. 11

19 Out of the total 174 countries included in this study, 107 (61% of countries) include at least one gender and/or women keyword in at least one NBSAP. Depending on context, the inclusion of even one keyword indicates some awareness of gender considerations by the NBSAP author(s), but overall, NBSAPs have addressed women and/ or gender considerations to a fairly limited extent, as the average use of gender keywords is 6.5 times per document, with documents ranging widely in length, from seven pages to 340 pages. Countries that have high gender keyword counts are significant outliers: the top 3 contributors are Paraguay (105 keywords in 124 pages in Version 1 from 2003), Liberia (113 keywords in 246 pages in Version 1 from 2004) and Nepal (93 keywords in 226 pages in Version 2 from 2014). Figure 5: Average number of gender and/or women keywords per NBSAP ( )

20 Findings, Part 2: Characterization of women KEY FINDINGS: 17% of countries, 29 of 174, identify women as vulnerable in at least one NBSAP. 27% of countries, 47 of 174, identify women as beneficiaries in at least one NBSAP. 37% of countries, 64 of 174, identify women as stakeholders in at least one NBSAP. 4% of countries, 7 of 174, identify women as agents of change in at least one NBSAP. Figure 6: How women are characterized in NBSAPs, from 174 countries 17% 27% 37% 4% Vulnerable Beneficiaries Stakeholders Agents of change 13

21 As per above in the Methodology section, keywords were analyzed for context and categorized into four themes, identifying whether women are characterized as vulnerable; as specific beneficiaries of biodiversity policies, programmes or activities of the NBSAP; as stakeholders of biodiversity management; and/ or as agents of change, including by driving conservation outcomes. These categories are not mutually exclusive; a country may characterize women as all four of these or as none. WOMEN AS VULNERABLE Twenty-nine countries (17%) identify women as vulnerable in at least one of their NBSAPs. The context of these references generally point out two common trends that NBSAPs are documenting in a national context: women s higher rates of poverty and women s greater dependence on subsistence agriculture. Liberia is the only country to note that more men are living in poverty than women. Thus, the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of natural resources impact first and foremost the vulnerable viz. poor and women. Sudan Version 2, 2015 While countries describe women as dependent on natural resources, and therefore vulnerable to biodiversity loss, most countries do not clearly document how the loss of specific natural resources would impact women or men. Most countries do not describe gender-differentiated dependence on natural resources; this may indicate a lack of detailed information on which resources are utilized by men and women. Nevertheless, even without sex-disaggregated statistics about the connections between vulnerability and specific natural resources, a number of the countries describe efforts to empower women to counteract gender gaps or vulnerabilities. Previous EGI studies have found that a mention of women s vulnerability does not always lead a country to plan actions to reduce that vulnerability. However, in the NBSAPs analyzed, 21 of the 29 countries that identify women as vulnerable also have activities for addressing gender gaps broadly (as discussed later in this report), although they are usually not tied to a specific natural resource. Similar to findings in the recent IUCN GGO report Gender and Protected Areas: Exploring National Reporting to the Ramsar Convention and the World Heritage Convention, 8 vulnerability is often used to identify women, the elders, the poor and indigenous peoples within the same phrase. While these identities may intersect, they are not a homogenous group. Attention to one of 8 This report can be found at genderandenvironment.org and 14

22 these groups, for example, does not necessarily enhance or address the needs of the others. implementation of NBSAPs in relation to specific natural resources, such as crops and livestock. Examples include: WOMEN AS BENEFICIARIES Forty-seven countries (27%) identify women as beneficiaries of biodiversity in at least one of their NBSAPs, and 10 countries identify women as beneficiaries in two versions of their NBSAPs, meaning that a total of 57 NBSAP documents mention women as beneficiaries. Three themes of women as beneficiaries emerged: recognizing both men and women as beneficiaries of biodiversity; women as beneficiaries of specific natural resources; and recognizing that women are or should be beneficiaries of social, educational and economic empowerment interventions (i.e., in tandem with biodiversity outcomes). Many NBSAPs refer to equitable distribution of benefits from biodiversity without clarification of what those benefits are or who those beneficiaries should be. The 47 countries that identify women as beneficiaries generally refer to the need for equitable distribution of benefits derived from biodiversity between men and women. These references about beneficiaries of biodiversity are often limited to a single reference in the background section of the document, and typically use language derived from various CBD COP decisions but do not further elaborate. Most countries that suggest the distribution of benefits should be equitable do not explain how that will be achieved or have indicators to measure this desired outcome. There are a few countries that document the benefits women should or will receive from Bhutan s Version 1 NBSAP (1997) has actions planned to direct benefits to women farmers, including seeds, credit schemes and training in relevant skills related to germplasm and crop seeds. Nepal s Version 1 NBSAP (2002) aims to benefit women in the creation of a livelihood project to improve productivity of indigenous breeds of livestock for women and people living in poverty. Some of the benefits women should or will receive from implementation of NBSAPs are focused on fostering social, educational and economic empowerment. Examples include: South Africa notes in its Version 1 NBSAP (2005) that women and people of color will benefit through mentorships and employment opportunities in the biodiversity sector. Tanzania notes in its Version 1 NBSAP (2001) that women s well-being and livelihoods will be improved as a result of NBSAP implementation. In Tanzania s Version 2 NBSAP (2015), a goal for gender balance in farmer training programmes is described. One capacity building action is to promote women s access to land, credit, education and information. In Malawi s Version 2 NBSAP (2015), there is an objective to include women as stakeholders and to ensure women benefit from biodiversity and income generating programs. This action is given a budget with an anticipated timeframe. 15

23 In Yemen s Version 1 NBSAP (2005), the desired characteristics of in-country projects are to improve economic growth and also support the role of women and the involvement of the poorest populations. Yemen also plans to create special courses for women, including courses in agricultural biodiversity and forestry for technicians and specialists. Malawi s Version 2 NBSAP (2015) includes specific activities to address gender gaps that include indicators and a timeline. Action: Develop programs to support alternative income-generating activities that can take away pressure from the ecosystems, support livelihoods and address gender issues (e.g. bee keeping; energy efficient stoves). The output indicator is the number of incomegenerating programs developed with a timeline to be implemented for 2016, 2017, and WOMEN AS STAKEHOLDERS Sixty-four countries (37%) acknowledge women as stakeholders in at least one of their NBSAPs. Women s participation as stakeholders is seen in a variety of ways. Some countries identify women s business associations or community groups as implementers of the NBSAP, while others point to women s attendance in planning workshops as evidence of women s involvement in the NBSAPs process. (This will be further discussed in this report in the section on the involvement of women s organizations.) Some countries track participation of women stakeholders in the NBSAP process with sexdisaggregated data. For example: Dominican Republic s Version 1 NBSAP (2011) notes that 49% of stakeholders involved in the NBSAP process were women. While many countries suggest women should or will be included as stakeholders in activities, few countries clarify measures taken to support women s involvement in biodiversity conservation interventions. Well known barriers to women s involvement can include time poverty, childcare and household responsibilities and access to transit. For example: Austria recognizes gender disparity in transportation access. Its Version 1 NBSAP (1998) notes the need to provide balanced mobility support for disadvantaged groups (including women and others) who don t own vehicles to participate in environmental programs. Two specific themes of women as stakeholders are relevant in NBSAP documents: the recognition of women as holders of TEK and women considered as stakeholders due to their management of specific species or resources. Both themes are discussed below in Findings, Part 6. WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE Seven countries (4%) identify women as agents of change in at least one version of their 16

24 NBSAPs. The context of these references is related to women s influence on biodiversity management and conservation as leaders of social networks, as gatekeepers and communicators, as conscientious consumers or as entrepreneurs (Table 2). TABLE 2: EXAMPLES OF WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE 1 Cuba s Version 1 (2002) NBSAP allocates funds to a women s organization, the Federation of Cuban Women, and highlights the role of women in educational programs about sustainability through informal pathways. 2 Dominican Republic s Version 1 (2011) NBSAP notes that women are leaders of reforestation brigades. 3 El Salvador s Version 1 (2003) NBSAP notes that women s rural ecological knowledge contributes to public health and that women in urban zones do sanitation, recycling and water management work that is often unpaid. 4 Gambia s Version 2 (2015) NBSAP notes that, women are (also) a huge untapped, or underutilized, asset in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Not only do they compose roughly 50% of the population, they are also parents, educators, healers, farmers, leaders, innovators and organizers, and as such can be extremely useful in advancing the cause of biodiversity. 5 Germany s Version 1 (2007) NBSAP notes that women consumers demand eco-friendly products and that women value access to nature higher than men, as it relates to their quality of life. 6 Samoa s Version 1 (2000) NBSAP includes a reference to a women s organization that is generating income from a handicraft business recycling plastic bags. 7 Zimbabwe s Version 1 (2000) NBSAP notes that, the crucial role of women in the various spheres of economic life including natural resource conservation and sustainable use is being recognized. This acknowledgement of the social and economic power and potential of women is valuable for countries to create opportunities for sustainable development that also recognizes women s rights and advances their equality in multiple spheres. A few countries, such as in the example of Samoa, include women s business groups as stakeholders or implementers as well for activities targeted for women. 17

25 Findings, Part 3: Integrating gender equality principles into NBSAPs KEY FINDINGS: 14% of countries (24 of 174 countries) identify gender equality as a guiding principle in their most recent NBSAP. 10% of countries (17 of 174 countries) identify women s organizations or ministries as involved in the development of their most recent NBSAP. 14% of countries (25 of 174 countries) identify women s organizations or ministries as implementing partners of their most recent NBSAP. 7% of countries (12 of 174 countries) include an objective or goal regarding women or gender considerations in their most recent NBSAP. 18% of countries (32 of 174 countries) have gender equality or women s empowerment within (as one aspect) of a larger objective, target, or goal in their most recent NBSAP. Key aspects of how gender is integrated into NBSAPs were considered in this analysis, including whether gender equality is a guiding principle; whether women s organizations, agencies and/or ministries are involved in the development of an NBSAP; and whether such organizations are involved in the implementation of an NBSAP. Further aspects analyzed include whether any objectives of the plan integrate gender equality. Only the most recent NBSAP submitted per country was considered for these questions (i.e., 174 documents from 174 countries). 18

26 GENDER EQUALITY AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE Figure 7: Distribution of 174 countries with gender equality as a guiding principle in their most recently submitted NBSAPs 14% Have 86% Do not have All NBSAPs have a section on the guiding principles that direct the action plan. Twentyfour countries (14% of countries) include a guiding principle that in some way indicates a commitment to women s rights and empowerment and/or to gender equality in their most recent NBSAPs. Examples include: Tanzania s Version 1 NBSAP (2001): Guiding principle: Empowerment of women is a critical factor in the eradication of poverty and hence in the sustainable use of the biological diversity. Costa Rica s Version 1 NBSAP (2000): Values: Justice and equity between social groups, ethnicities, genders and generations (Translated from Spanish). Ecuador s Version 1 NBSAP (2001): Equity: The exercising of rights for use and access of biodiverse resources and the just and equitable distribution of benefits derived from their use and conservation is for all people, men and women, and sectors of the Ecuadorian population, for ecological sustainability is a basic condition to achieve ethnic, gender and international equity and justice (Translated from Spanish). Six countries refer to gender equality as a guiding principle, yet fail to mention women or gender in the rest of the NBSAP at all. 19

27 Without any further references to gender keywords in these NBSAPs, it is not possible to know whether and how women are involved in development and implementation, or for example whether any actions were designed to reduce gender gaps and maximize gender equality outcomes. This points to the need for thorough gender mainstreaming and the involvement of gender experts in NBSAP development perhaps particularly for these six countries that have indicated a principle but may lack capacity or resources to forge a gender-responsive approach. LINKING BIODIVERSITY AND GENDER EQUALITY POLICY FRAMEWORKS NBSAPs also often contain a list of national policies relevant to environmental management or goals that are used to guide the development of the NBSAP. This integration of national gender policies and plans within environmental policy can lead to sustainable development co-benefits and closing gender gaps. Engaging gender experts, women s organizations or women s ministries/mechanisms (as discussed further in a section below) in the NBSAP process can help support identifying and implementing these links. Examples of policies referenced include: The South African Development Community (SADC) 2008 Protocol on Gender and Development is listed in a table of relevant policies acknowledged in Zambia s Version 2 NBSAP (2015). Gambia references the National Gender and Women Empowerment Policy ( ) and the need for women s participation in agroforestry management in a subsection on gender in their Version 2 NBSAP (2015). WOMEN S ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION Figure 8: Distribution of 174 countries involving women s organizations or ministries in development of their most recently submitted NBSAPs 10% Have 90% Do not have 20

28 Seventeen countries (10% of countries) identify women s organizations or ministries as involved in the development of the NBSAP. The organizations and ministries involved in the development of an NBSAP are generally listed in acknowledgements in the background section or in an annex, and NBSAPs do not generally specify the roles of those involved beyond listing them as process stakeholders or steering committee members. Figure 9: Distribution of 174 countries with women s organizations or ministries as implementing partners in their most recent NBSAPs 14% Have 86% Do not have Twenty-five countries (14% of countries) identify women s organizations or ministries as implementing partners for NBSAP activities. The organizations and ministries identified as implementing partners of the NBSAPs are often listed in tables and connected to specific activities or actions. Women s organizations and ministries are occasionally listed as the primary group responsible and are more commonly listed among many implementing groups as responsible for specific activities or actions. Example: In the Gambia, Version 2 (2015), In order to reduce biodiversity loss the Women s Bureau [plans] to lobby for land reform pertaining to ownership and maintenance, encourage agroforestry activities as well as developing and promoting the use of alternative energy and other technologies. Further discussion of activities and actions assigned to women s organizations and ministries is below, in Findings, Part 4. In Niue, Version 1 (2001), the women s council is tasked with identifying suitable crops for women farmers. 21